The Return of the Once and Future King
by Bagel-chan
Summary: After many years alone, Merlin find's himself wondering if the King was ever going to return. T for possible later chapters.


**A/N: Hey Guys. This is my first ever Merlin Fic so please be kind!**

**Disclaimer: I'm just a poor college kid, I don't own anything.**

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**The Return**

For the thousand-some-odd year old wizard, the day spared no sign of being special. No fanfare of trumpets as he drove on the freeway to work, no flocks of owls that passed the window as he checked on his patients in the ward. Not even a second pack of gummy bears from the unforgivable vending machine that normally ate his dollar when he wanted a snack. No, for Merlin, it was just another day in this lonely prison of time.

It was well past 7 when Merlin left the hospital for the parking lot a little ways down the road and he noticed the sun was setting, giving off a yellow-orange glow to everything surrounding him. He stayed a bit longer than he was expected to but Merlin had paid no attention preferring to be useful there than be home alone. The wind was harsh on his face as he neared his car, preferring to use his scarf to shield himself from it. He reached inside his pockets for his keys and suddenly the wind wasn't blowing at him anymore but from behind him. Confused, Merlin stepped out from behind his car to make sure that the wind wasn't just being blocked by his car. It wasn't. It was however, pushing him in the general direction of his home, the little cottage on the body of water that had once been named Lake Avalon.

_Could it be?_ He wondered staring in the lake's general direction. _Could he be coming back?_ He wondered, but then shook his head and smiled.

"No," he whispered staring of into the distance "It's just a coincidence. Arthur's not coming back yet. Even if the great prat himself _was_ coming back, he would make a show of it. Not rely on something as small as the wind changing direction." He laughed at himself. Look at him, getting all jumpy just because the wind was changing directions. He smiled to himself as he opened up the door to his car and got inside.

He was just about to put the keys into the ignition when Merlin noticed a faintly glowing light emitting from the ring on his thumb. His hand slackened causing the keys to fall out of his hand but he didn't care. The ring had been Gwen's final gift to him on her death bed. Her death had hit him the hardest since she had been the last of his friends to be claimed by death. But even on her death bead she had told him _"This ring had been a gift from Arthur when asked to me to marry him. Except for once, I have never taken it off of my finger. Now, Merlin, I believe that you should be the one to carry it around. Use it to remind yourself of us when things become too much." When he had tried to tell her to keep it, she had given him a sad smile. "You are the one who deserves to wear this, you have been loyal to him, more so than me." He had protested but she shook her head. "Keep it Merlin; humor a dying queen once more."_

He was shaken out of his memories when the light grew brighter "No," he whispered staring at it. "No, no, no, no-no-no… This has to be a coincidence." he trailed off looking back towards the direction of his house. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but think _could it really be him?_ A new found determination gripped him and he reached down to the bottom of the car. Merlin grabbed his keys; put them into the ignition starting the car. The engine roared to life. Throwing it into reverse, Merlin fastened his seatbelt and drove.

He paid little attention to the road because he kept staring at the ring as if it was his life line. The closer that he got to his home, the brighter the light became. As the light became brighter, the more pressure on the accelerator he put, nearly causing him to be pulled over by two cops. But he didn't care. Inside his head a chant was hastily repeating; _please let me get back in time, please let me get back in time_. It was only after he had turned on the long driveway that led him to his home that he saw the eerily glow emitting from the lake that wasn't being caused by the sun. That was when it hit him. Arthur was coming back. He threw the car into park and nearly strangled himself trying to get out of the car still strapped in. Frustrated and cursing, he unbuckled and bolted out of the car. Running to the side of the lake he waited… and waited… and waited.

But nothing happened. No fanfare of trumpets, no parting of the lake to reveal Arthur walking up saying "I'm fine, I'm fine." Just silence.

Disappointed, Merlin trekked back into his home, his heart breaking. Because for one small moment he actually believed that Arthur was _finally_ coming back. That he wouldn't be alone anymore in this prison of time. Unlocking the door, he walked in drained and closed the door behind him. Leaning against the wall, he slid down until he was sitting on the floor, his legs tucked to his chest. He was trying so hard not to cry as his memories from Camelot that he had suppressed rolled through his mind. _Morgana before she was evil, Arthur and him going to save Gwen, Arthur becoming King, Gwen becoming Queen, Arthur dying in his arms_. The tears flowed freely now, especially on the last memory.

Suddenly the door opened the setting sun casting a shadow upon the figure that was standing in the doorway onto the wall. Startled, Merlin turned to look at the person, but couldn't see who it was due to the blinding, setting sun. "Whoever you are, take what you want, just try not to destroy too much," he said thinking that the person was a robber and turned his head back to the shadow that was being casted onto the wall. The shadow looked familiar but Merlin couldn't place where he had seen the figure before.

"Why would I want your stuff Merlin? If I wanted something I would just ask you to go buy it for me or I could go buy it myself for that matter," the figure answered and Merlin's heart leapt. Jumping up he faced the figure with an uncertainty, not entirely convinced that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him again.

"Arthur?" he asked uncertainly and the figure stepped further into his home.

"What?" the he asked "Merlin, why are you looking at me as though you haven't seen me for a really long time?"

He looked the same, as if he had just fallen asleep in Merlin's arms instead of dying. Same blond hair, same outfit, same sword strapped to his side but what Merlin's eyes lingered on was the blood stained hole in his chainmail. Moving closer, Merlin reached out and touched the hole, his heart racing when his fingers didn't pass through him. Instead, he could feel Arthur's strong heartbeat beneath his fingers.

"You're real," he breathed finally meeting his eyes. Arthur just looked at him.

"Of course I'm real you clotpole," he said looking at Merlin as though he was crazy. Merlin shakily laughed, tears threatening to spill from his eyes again.

"Shut up you dollophead… and that is still my word," Merlin whispered throwing his arms around Arthur, not caring if he looked like a blubbering idiot. What surprised him the most though, was when Arthur's arms circled his waist, returning the embrace.

He wasn't alone anymore.

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**Please review! If this catches enough people's attention, I could be convinced for this to become a multichapter fic. *winky face*  
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